Willow Tree
by Mini Reyes
Summary: He knelt down in the wet road cradling Monica's body as her life force flowed away towards the drain Monica's usually bright eyes now lifeless stared up at him…A willow tree, a folklore, & a stakeout but how are they all connected in this twisted tale of fate?


Willow Tree

Disclaimer: Not mine… never is, as usual, everything belongs to CC and who ever else… would be good if I did own the characters though…

A/N: Set not lone after Audrey Pauly.

He knelt down in the wet road, cradling Monica's body, one arm around her shoulders, tilting her head towards him, his other arm around her middle. The rain beat down on John and he shielded Monica from the falling water as her life force mixed with the same liquid that he tried to protect her from, and it flowed away, towards the drain. Monica's usually bright eyes, sparked with defiance, determination and happiness, now dull and lifeless, stared up at him…

John's phone rang and his eyes snapped open, and he breathed heavily for a few moments, letting the phone ring as the heavy weight of Monica's 'death' lifted and he realised it was only a dream. His nightmares where getting worse since Monica's brush with death not along ago after her car crash.

John finally picked up his phone and dismissed the alarm, turning off the infernal sounding machine off then he groaned as he got up off the couch and picked up his keys, badge and gun on his way out the door.

XxXxX

Monica saw John's car approach and stopped leaning on the door of her car and stood up straight, walking over to meet John, "Hey, you're late," She commented as John got out of his car.

"Nah, you're just early," John smiled as he locked his car and walked up to Monica, "Either way it doesn't really matter as long as we catch this guy,"

"Agreed," Monica said and walked with John through the park towards there stake out position at the big old willow tree.

Monica stood under the droopy branches and looked up along the tree trunk for a way to get up and John did the same. The surface was mostly smooth but there were name carvings all over the place and a few little dips and ridges that would make suitable foot holds, but they were a bit hard to reach. John looked over at Monica and she looked back at him.

"Help me up," She said softly and he out his arms around her waist and lifted her up so that she could reach the dip in the branches where they would sit and Monica pulled herself up and moved over to make room for John who jumped and grabbed onto a tree branch and then hoisted himself up next to Monica, nearly landing on top of her.

"Sorry," He whispered as he moved and sat next to his partner.

"That's okay, you know, there is a local myth about this tree that pertains to this case?" Monica asked.

"Oh really? What's that?" John asked, searching the dark grounds of the park for any signs of life other then himself and his partner.

"Well you may have noticed the deep love heart carving on the front of the tree trunk and they say that a couple of young kids that were destined to fall in love but weren't allowed to be, met at this tree a few hundred year ago and they carved that heart together and vowed that against all odds they would be together for ever and they managed to escape from their parents that were keeping them separated and they made it back to this tree, but their parents wanted there children back and the girls father killed the boy when he found them at the tree, and they say the girl died from the heart brake but that there souls reside in the tree now forever and that any couple that come to the tree will fall in love and be together for ever, one way or another. Some of the couples in the town swear that they have seen the dead lovers souls and they help in setting peoples hearts together," Monica explained, watching her partner to see how he would react.

"And they actually believe this? Sounds like a load of crap," John scoffed, and looked through a set of night vision binoculars but didn't see anything moving, net even an owl or possum.

Monica's face fell and she was glad that he couldn't really see her in the dark.

Minutes passed and neither said anything till John broke the silence, "When was your first boyfriend?" He asked as he had been thinking about various things along those lines since Monica told the local folklore about the tree, it had got him wondering.

"Huh? Oh um, I was fifteen, he was sixteen, it wasn't something that we planned it kinda happened… we didn't even realise that we were in a relationship for a while, we were just goin' with it…" Monica trailed off, wondering why she was telling John, and why he asked.

"What was your relationship with him like?" John asked, and Monica looked over at him oddly, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking through the night vision goggles out at the park.

_Just some idle chatting huh? _Monica thought and decided to answer him, and see if she could make him jealous, "Distant, he lived in a different part of the country… we emailed each other a lot, he was one of my mother's friends kids, so we knew each other growing up, but we didn't see other much," Monica said deciding to go with the truth instead.

"How'd you break up?" John idly asked, adjusting the width of the night vision goggles.

"We drifted apart, but we weren't really together in the first place cos we lived a few thousand km from each other, and I was focused on my schooling while he was focused on trying to get family to not fall apart… I tried to help, but what can one teen a few thousand miles away do? But if you're asking when did I have my first real relationship where I got my heart broken, then that would be when I was seventeen. His name was Jake and he cheated on me for none other than the cheerleading captain… you know I don't know why I'm telling you any of this," Monica finished, looking out on the opposite side of the tree to John and not looking at him.

"Cos I asked…" John commented and then sat up alert and caught Monica's attention and she leaned over and looked out over the same area as John to see what had captured his attention.

"What is it? Is that our guy?" Monica asked and John handed her the goggles and she looked out over the park, still leaning over John and then whispered, "That him!" And she jumped out of the tree, sprinted after the moving person.

She lost John but kept running after the shadow through the trees and paths that ran through the large park till she had no idea where she was and she couldn't see the man anymore. Hands on knees she looked around as she breathed heavily, and she could see her breath on the cold night air. Monica heard a noise and stood up, looking around her for the source of the noise and then heard a snap from behind her and she turned around again, not seeing anything she looked around more wildly hearing the noise becoming closer but she still couldn't see anything.

"John?" Monica called, looking around and trying to find her torch, but realised it was gone.

The sounds stopped and Monica looked around her slowly and then spotted a shadow moving near a toilet block not far from her and she pulled out her gun and quietly stalked after the man, sneaking around the dark unlit building and then charging at the figure and knocking him to the ground but he struggled to run over while Monica tried to put the cuffs on him.

"I'm a federal agent, you're under arrest!" She said but the man managed to turn around and she found herself straddling her partner, "John? Wh-how did you get in front of me?" Monica asked.

"I saw the guy go around the building block and I chased after him till you tackled me," John said.

"I saw him go around the building and then I found you," Monica replied, slightly confused as to where their suspect went.

"Ah well where ever he went we're not going to catch him with you holding my arms," John said, still rather surprised with the situation he had found himself in.

"Oh sorry!" Monica said and let go as she only noticed that she was indeed holding his fore arms. Monica went to move off John when the sound of wings beating through the night air came to her ears and she looked up briefly to see a white owl swooping towards her, "Ah!" Monica ducked her head into John's shoulder and his arms came around her protectively.

Then Monica lifted her head a little way and looked into John's eyes, and she knew what she felt, and she saw what she thought was the same thing that she felt in his eyes and she gave into the desire to kiss him. Her soft lips touching his for a second and then she smiled as did he before she pressed her lips more firmly against his as she felt John move her hair off her face and kiss her right back. Behind Monica's closed eyes she saw a bright light, opening her eyes and lifted her head upon hearing a loud voice.

The two pulled apart and Monica got off John and discreetly holstered her weapon as they both stood up to find themselves standing in front of a police officer, "Evening officer," Monica said, taking John's hand, "We were just leaving," She said and pulled John with her as she ran away from the officer and in the direction she hopped was her car, leaving a bewildered policeman in there wake as they ran from sight.


End file.
